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Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Despite its widely
accepted status as a deadly carcinogen and being outright banned by
dozens of countries, asbestos remains legal in the United States, and
this status may not change under the Trump Administration. President
Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency,
Scott Pruitt, refused to commit to banning the substance during
confirmation hearings.

Asbestos, once
regularly used in the construction of houses, office buildings and
other structures across the United States, including here in South
Florida, can cause a number of diseases in people exposed to the
substance. Health experts estimate that thousands of people die from
asbestos-related diseases each year. The dangers associated with
asbestos exposure have prompted many homeowners, businesses and
government entities to hire environmental remediation companies to
remove the material from buildings and structures throughout Southern
Florida. People in places like Hollywood, Miami Beach, Miami, West
Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton can hire licensed asbestos removal south florida companies to test for the presence of asbestos,
and eliminate it.

Regardless of what
political appointees may say about asbestos, medical professionals
and health experts have long recognized the substance’s dangers.
Exposure to asbestos, particularly long-term exposure, can cause
cancers of the stomach and lungs, including a form of cancer only
caused by asbestos called mesothelioma. Other health conditions tied
to asbestos exposure include asbestosis, shortness of breath, lung
cancer and other respiratory ailments. Firms that offer asbestos abatement broward services remove this dangerous building material
from hospitals, apartment buildings, schools, courthouses,
condominiums and other structures across Broward County.

Although
previous presidential administrations took steps to phase out the use
of asbestos, it remains to be seen whether the new administration
will continue this trend. One would hope that common sense and public
pressure will lead to the end of asbestos use in the near future.